Whoever Fights Monsters
by ChestyMcBoobs
Summary: The investigation of a college student's death leads the CSIs into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a suspect. (Sequel to Cause and Effect)
1. Default Chapter

Title: Whoever Fights Monsters

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (including Maria. She's made it quite clear that she owns her own damn self, thank you very much.) I'm just borrowing them and will return them when I've had my fun, somewhat dazed and disheveled, but otherwise in their original condition. Also, Maria and I have decided to keep Eric for a while, and we're sending Tim to Yana... Rating: This chapter is a hard R for sexual themes. The rest of the fic will be rated R for violence and subject matter. Pairings: Eric/Maria, Tim/Calleigh, John/Yelina, Horatio/Adele

Summary: The suspicious death of a student at a boarding school for troubled teenagers leads the CSIs into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the prime suspect.

Feedback: Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're reading this, right? Well then review it! Come on, pretty pleeeeeease? It only takes a minute or two, and it makes my day. Besides, we both know you've got the time. What else are you going to do, work?

Dedication: Yana, for, as always, putting up with my crazy self. Jackie, Tina, Mel, Annie, Dorothy, Nonnie, and all my other loyal reviewers, what would I do without ya'll? I'll tell ya what; I'd stop writing! And that would suck. So, thanks!

Note: A few people have asked me about the stories that removed. muttermuttergrumble They aren't currently posted anywhere, but if you're interested in reading them (which I'd recommend since they are part of a series) my email can be found in my profile. Do keep in mind, they do contain graphic sex scenes, so let me know if you'd prefer to read an "edited" version.

Other Note: Okay, the first chapter of this story may be confusing, since it switches settings/time and place right in the middle, but just go with it, okay?

Other Other Note: Just got done watching the season premiere. Still sniffling. It shoulda been Horatio, dammit! Anyhoo, I can't guarentee that this fic will be any happier. I can, however, guarentee that Tim is alive, and is going to stay that way, dammit.

* * *

"What have we got?" One of the nurses shouted, running for a trauma room.

"Male gunshot victim, twenty-seven." A paramedic replied. "Shot in the chest, no exit wound. He's been in and out."

"He was in here before." One of the nurses observed. "He came in to see a patient who was taken upstairs, a young pregnant woman."

"Calleigh!" A young man pushed past the nurses, toward a young woman who had just come through the doors, followed by another man.

"Oh my God, Tim." Calleigh gasped out, falling against him. "Did you see him?"

"Yeah, as they were bringing him in." Tim said. "He was conscious, at least I think he was."

"He was when they put him in the ambulance." Hagen spoke up.

"Excuse me?" A nurse interrupted. "You're Eric Delko's colleagues? He's asking to see you before we take him to surgery." She led them into the trauma room.

"Hey." Eric managed to say when he saw his friends. "How's Maria?"

"She's...she's okay." Tim said. It was a flat-out lie, but in his present state, Eric didn't seem to notice. "She was asleep when I left her."

"Tell her..." Eric's voice trailed off.

"Don't worry." Calleigh said soothingly. She leaned in and stroked his hair gently. "Anything you have to say to Maria, she can wait a few hours and hear it from you."

"Tell her I love her and the baby." Eric insisted. "Tell her everything's going to be okay."

"We'll tell her." Tim promised. He tried to seem calm, but he couldn't ignore the fact that there was something in his friend's eyes that he had never seen there before. Fear.

Eric reached for Calleigh's hand. "This could be the last time I see you guys."

"God, would you shut up?" Hagen said. "Haven't you ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy?"

"You're gonna be fine, man." Tim added. "Just keep thinking about Maria and the baby."

"Eric, I need to ask you some questions before we take you upstairs." A nurse said. "Do you have any medical conditions?"

"Well, I've been shot." Eric replied.

The nurse ignored the joke. "How about allergies?"

"Yeah." Eric said. "Bullets. So how about fishing this thing outta me?"

Calleigh couldn't help but smile. "Eric, what the hell are you doing?"

"I want you guys to tell Maria that I was being brave and joking around." Eric said.

"You want us to lie to her at a time like this?" Hagen replied. "Man, that's twisted."

Eric managed a brief smile, and looked like he was about to respond, but his eyes closed suddenly and his head dropped to one side, just as one of the machines he was hooked up to began to beep rapidly.

"I'm sorry, you'll have to wait outside." The same nurse gently but insistently nudged the three cops out of the room, as a handful of doctors and other nurses surrounded Eric.

"Oh my God." Calleigh winced, burying her head against Tim's shoulder.

"Try to stay calm." Hagen said, placing his hand on her arm.

"Stay calm?" Calleigh repeated. "He could die! Maria is still critical!"

Tim pulled her tighter against him, stroking her hair as she started to sob. "Jesus Christ." He muttered, glancing behind them at the scene in the trauma room. "How the hell did it come to this?"

* * *

Three days earlier...

* * *

At first, Eric thought the sound that was invading a particularly pleasant dream was his alarm clock. But when he rolled over and hit the snooze button on the offending object, the loud beeping continued, and under it, he could now hear a faint voice cursing. Smirking, he rolled out of the bed and made his way down the hall into the kitchen.

Maria looked up sheepishly when he came into the room. "I was trying not to wake you up." She confessed, smiling when she saw that he was wearing nothing but a pair of white cotton boxer shorts.

"Yeah, well, smoke detectors tend to have that effect." Eric teased. He crossed the room and slid his arms around her from behind. "Welcome home."

"Mmm." Maria sighed, leaning back into him. "Did you miss us?"

Eric kissed the back of her neck as his hands came to rest on the slight swell of her stomach. "Two days felt like a damn lifetime. How's Yolanda?"

"She's okay." Maria replied. After taking some time to recover from the shock of learning that her father and birth mother had never been married, Maria was slowing beginning the process of reconciling with her family, and had spent the weekend in Washington D.C with Yolanda, who was there while the Senate was in session. "She said to tell you hello."

"What were you trying to make?" Eric asked, looking at the mess on the stove.

"Eggs." Maria sighed. "Didn't think I could fuck those up too bad. Sorry about the mess."

"Don't worry about it." Eric insisted, already distracted by the fact that Maria was clad only in a pair of denim cutoffs that barely fit her changing figure, and a blue lace bra.

"I missed you." Maria said softly, leaning against him again and inhaling sharply when she felt him pressed against her lower back. "Missed that, too." She unconsciously moved her hips in slow, languid circles.

Eric chuckled and reached to unhook her bra. "And apparently, it missed you."

Maria swatted his hands away. "Not now, I've gotta fix this. You keep distracting me like that and I'll burn our breakfast again."

"You'll burn it anyway." Eric pointed out. He succeeded in slipping her bra off, but she stubbornly gripped the counter in front of her, not letting it come off completely. "Might as well be for a good reason."

"Oh, wow, you do know how to sweet-talk a gal." Maria said sarcastically. Then Eric's hands were on her breasts, which had become larger and more sensitive in the past month, much to his obvious delight. His fingers circled one nipple and pinched it lightly, and she felt an immediate response between her thighs. "That's cheating."

"You really want me to stop?" Eric whispered in her ear, grinding against her back.

"Don't even think about it." Maria hissed. She managed to reach back and slip her hand between their bodies. "Unless you don't want me to do this." With that, she began cupping and stroking him through the thin cotton of his shorts.

"Witch." Eric said gruffly, moaning as he felt her hand slip into his shorts. Determined not to let her take over, he moved one hand down to unfasten her cutoffs and push them down. After helping her remove his boxers, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight against him.

After they made love, they clung to each other, both leaning hard against the counter as they managed to catch their breath. Then Eric picked Maria up, holding her tightly against his chest, and carried her into the bedroom. He lay her down in the center of the bed and stretched out beside her, running his hands over her body and placing soft kisses on her shoulder.

"Damn, woman..." He whispered. "If you ever leave me, you'd better kill me first."

"Don't worry about that." Maria laughed softly, caressing his cheek and sliding her other hand through his damp hair. "I wouldn't be able to live for one day without you."

Eric smiled and turned onto his side to take in the sight next to him. Her long hair was tousled and wild, her green eyes were bright and shining with unshed tears of joy. Then his gaze traveled lower, to the small, round bump in her abdomen. He reached out and lay his hand across it. "I think he got bigger over the weekend."

"Wouldn't be surprised." Maria said, placing her hand over his and gently stroking his fingers. "Every time I turned around, Yolanda was shoving more food at me. 'Eat more, Maria.' 'You're not eating enough, Maria.' 'Remember, Maria, you're eating for two now.' And so on. Like the baby doesn't remind me to eat every two hours." She gave Eric a playful nudge on his shoulder. "And stop saying 'he,' we won't know anything for sure until my appointment on Friday."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that." Eric said. "Maybe we should wait to find out about the sex. It's only five more months."

"Are you kidding?" Maria asked. "Come on, you know I hate waiting. Besides, we need to know what it is so we can paint the spare bedroom, and how would we know kind of clothes to buy, and-"

Eric cut her off with a soft kiss. "Yeah, I know. I was testing you, just wanted to know that you hadn't changed your mind."

Maria laughed and shoved him again. "You couldn't have just asked me? God, you are such a dope." She sighed happily and leaned over to kiss him. "I love you, ya big dope."

"I love you, too." Eric said as he pulled her close and carefully turned her onto her back. He brushed his lips across hers, then kissed her deeply and took her again slowly, carefully, feeling her body yield to him as she moaned into his mouth.

"You sure...we have time...for this?" She asked as he began to move.

"There's always time." Eric chuckled, then covered her mouth with his again and focused entirely on making love to her, at a gentler, more leisurely pace this time. They probably would be late, and they would probably get some grief from Horatio at a result, but he couldn't have cared less.

* * *

"Well, look at that." Calleigh said cheerfully. "Maria's home. Now, how did we know that?"

"Hmm." Tim grunted, looking pointedly at his watch, then at Eric and Maria. "I don't know, baby. Maybe we're psychic."

"Bite my ever-expanding ass." Maria replied, sticking out her tongue. "Nice to see you guys, too."

"Yeah, we're only ten minutes late." Eric added. "Besides, judging from those smudges on your neck, you found a way to keep busy."

Tim muttered something under his breath as he wiped a spot of Calleigh's lipstick off his skin.

"Maria!" A voice behind the group caught their attention.

"Hey, it's the Honeymooners!" Maria said, turning to see Hagen and Yelina. "How was Jamaica?"

"Amazing." Yelina sighed, embracing her friend. "You were absolutely right, the culture and history there are so fascinating."

"Yeah, sure.." Maria smirked. "And what did you guys actually do?"

"The hotel had a bar in the pool, literally in it." Hagen spoke up. "Drunk is the only way to swim."

"Okay, do not mention booze to me." Maria groaned. "I've still got five months to go, and then nursing after that."

"Hey, that reminds me." Eric said. "While you were away, I took all the beer and liquor in the apartment and dumped it down the sink, the place is totally dry. I'm not touching a drop of alcohol until you can."

"Really?" Maria asked. "Oh, baby, that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"You're a strange woman, Maria." Calleigh said.

Maria grinned. "Pretty much full time."

"By the way, Horatio wanted to see both of you in his office as soon as you got here." Tim said to Eric.

"You couldn't have mentioned that, I don't know, as soon as we got here?" Eric asked.

"I could have." Tim admitted. "But hey, I was keeping busy."

* * *

"You wanted to see us?" Maria asked.

"Yes, I did." Horatio glanced up from the newspaper he was reading. "Come on in."

"Uh, H, we're really sorry we were late." Eric said sheepishly. "You know how traffic can be on Macarthur."

"Right, traffic." Horatio said. "That's not what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. Have a seat."

As they stepped into the office, Maria noticed a duffel bag next to the desk, and a pillow and blanket on the couch. "Did you...did you sleep here last night?"

After a moment, Horatio nodded. "Uh, yes. Adele...locked me out."

"Of your own house?" Eric said incredulously.

Maria laughed, shocked. "Damn, what did you do?"

Horatio started to protest, then nodded, knowing that there was no point in lying to Maria. "I may have...accidentally implied that her job isn't as important as mine."

"No!" Maria said, grabbing the newspaper from him. She rolled it up and waved it at him threateningly. "No! Bad! That's a bad Horatio!"

"I'd rather not discuss this." Horatio said, taking the paper back from her. "The reason I wanted to see you two is that Taylor Walsh came to see me this morning."

"Okay, if this is about Mark Bergeron, I swear, he kicked himself in the ass." Maria insisted.

"The man lacks the coordination necessary to walk and chew gum, and you expect me to believe he could kick himself?" Horatio asked.

"Sure." Maria said with a shrug.

"Actually, the reason Taylor came to see me is that she needs our help with a case. A potential case, at least." Horatio explained. "She'd like you two to meet her at the Dade Center."

"The Dade Center?" Maria repeated. She knew about the place, it was a residential college prep program for 'troubled' young adults. "Isn't Cassie there?"

"Yes, she is." Horatio said. "And apparently, something happened to her roommate over the weekend."

* * *

"So, why did you kick Mark, anyway?" Eric asked as he opened the passenger side door of the Hummer and helped Maria out.

"He called me short." Maria said.

"Okay, well, don't kick me or anything, but you are short." Eric told her.

"Uh, yeah, I know that." Maria sighed. "So I don't really need to have it pointed out to me. It's like when guys tell me I have big breasts."

"Well, you-" "Don't." Maria interrupted. She groaned and tugged at her bra. "They're beyond big now, they're fucking ridiculous."

"I hadn't noticed." Eric said.

Maria playful grabbed his chin. "I'm up here, honey."

"Eric, Maria." Jake Brody spotted the couple and jogged over to them. "Maria, you look beautiful. You're glowing."

"I'm sweating, Jake." Maria said. "I've been barfing all morning. Where's Taylor?"

"With our daughter, inside." Jake replied. "One of Cassie's roommates died last night, of an apparent allergic reaction. Cass came home from the movies, found her on the bathroom floor, in anaphylactic shock. Paramedics were called in, but the girl was gone by the time they arrived."

"Oh my God." Maria gasped. "That's awful. Poor Cassie."

"Roommate's name was Mackenzie Matthews, she was twenty." Jake added. "Anything else, I guess you can get from Cass."

"Yeah, thanks." Eric said. He turned to Maria and took her hand. "Let's go talk to Cassie."

* * *

"Taylor?" Jake said. "Darlin', Maria and Eric are here to talk to Cass about Mackenzie."

"Thanks, honey." Taylor said, standing up from the couch. As she passed by her husband, she placed her hand on his arm, as if to steady herself. Then she knocked on the closed door in front of her. "Cassie, you gotta come out now, sweetheart. Maria's here."

The door opened after a minute, and Cassandra Brody stepped out. She was a small, thin young woman, with her mother's blonde hair and her father's light brown eyes. In a baggy sweatshirt and jeans, and with her eyes swollen and red from crying, she looked much younger than her nineteen years.

"Hey, Cassie." Maria said. "We're so sorry about your friend. How about you sit down with us and tell us what happened?"

Cassandra nodded and stepped over to the couch.

"We'll be right outside if you need anything, angel." Jake said to his daughter as he put his arm around Taylor's shoulders and guided her away.

"Thanks, Daddy." Cassandra said softly, listlessly. She looked up at Eric and Maria. "Sorry the place is such a mess. Today was gonna be Mack's turn to clean up."

"I'm sorry." Maria repeated.

"It wasn't an accident." Cassandra said, choking back a sob. "I don't think it was, anyway. I think Mackenzie was murdered."

* * *

TBC...


	2. Chapter Two

Title: Whoever Fights Monsters (2/?)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (including Maria. She's made it quite clear that she owns her own damn self, thank you very much.) I'm just borrowing them and will return them when I've had my fun, somewhat dazed and disheveled, but otherwise in their original condition. Also, Maria and I have decided to keep Eric for a while, and we're sending Tim to Yana...

Rating: Heavy R

Pairings: Eric/Maria, Tim/Calleigh, John/Yelina, Horatio/Adele

Feedback: Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're reading this, right? Well then review it! Come on, pretty pleeeeeease? It only takes a minute or two, and it makes my day. Besides, we both know you've got the time. What else are you going to do, work?

Dedication: Yana, for, as always, putting up with my crazy self. Jackie, Tina, Mel, Annie, Dorothy, Nonnie, and all my other loyal reviewers, what would I do without ya'll? I'll tell ya what; I'd stop writing! And that would suck. So, thanks!

Note: A few people have asked me about the stories that removed. muttermuttergrumble They aren't currently posted anywhere, but if you're interested in reading them (which I'd recommend since they are part of a series) my email can be found in my profile. Do keep in mind, they do contain graphic sex scenes, so let me know if you'd prefer to read an "edited" version.

* * *

"So, all we have to go on is Cassie's suspicions." Maria sighed.

"Not quite." Eric corrected her. "While you were outside throwing up in the bushes, I talked to the nurse who's in charge of dispensing medications to the students. I asked her if anyone knew what Mackenzie had a reaction to. She said she can get us a list of her allergies."

"And we can check that with things we find in the apartment." Maria finished. "You are brilliant. Of course, if no ones knows what she had a reaction to, Alexx will need to see the body to tell us, and it's already been released to the hospital for an autopsy. If we're going to get her, we need to find something that will get us a warrant."

"Excuse me." They looked up and saw a middle-aged man standing in the doorway. He was tall, with thinning gray hair and glasses. "I'm Michael McMannon, I'm the founder and director of the Dade Center. We're all devastated by this accident, Mackenzie was such a bright, lovely young woman."

"That's what we heard from Cassie Brody." Maria said.

"My staff and I will be happy to help you in any way we can, but I'm a little confused about why you're here." McMannon continued. "Mackenzie's death was an accident."

"Well, if that's the case, that's what we'll find out after we've gone over this apartment." Eric spoke up.

"What, exactly, are you people looking for?" McMannon asked.

"Evidence." Maria stated.

"Of what?"

Maria shrugged. "Murder."

* * *

"We've got a first aid kit here, open." Maria said. "A band aid wrapper, gauze pad, maybe she cut herself shaving." She pointed to a damp towel balled up on the floor, and a pair of cotton pajamas laid out on the bed. "Looks like she had just finished showering."

"Half-empty bottle of soda." Eric added, coming in from the kitchen. "Better take this back to the lab, see if someone spiked it with something."

"Detective?" A woman knocked on the door frame.

"Mrs. Lawrence, hi." Eric said. "This is my partner, Detective Maria Santiago."

"Nice to meet you." Mrs. Lawrence said. "Detective Delko, here's the list of Mackenzie's allergies."

"Thanks." Eric said, taking the print out. "Let's see...wow, a lot of them. Mangos, penicillin, cilantro, strawberries, tobacco...hey, Maria, what kind of band aids are those?"

"No-name brand." Maria shrugged.

"Latex free?" Eric asked. "She was allergic to latex."

"No, they don't appear to be..." Maria said. "Huh, okay, some of them are. The ones with blue printing on the wrapper are, the ones with the red printing aren't. Other than that, though, they're not really clearly marked. A latex allergy wouldn't be fatal though, would it?"

"In Mack's case, it very well could be." Mrs. Lawrence said. "Most of her non-food allergies were extremely severe. Smoking one cigarette would have killed her. But it doesn't make sense that she would have those band aids, she knew how serious her allergy to latex was."

"These first aid kits are provided by the school?" Eric suggested. "And refills?"

"Yes, those are in the medical office." Mrs. Lawrence replied. "But only Michael and I have keys to that cabinet, and the students have to get supplies from us."

Maria stood up slowly, rubbing her lower back. "Well, sounds like we're going to get that warrant."

* * *

"Hey, welcome back." Tim said when he saw Eric and Maria. "Eric, we've got a triple homicide at the marina, H needs you on that case. He said to grab your gear and head over there, I'm gonna be working with Maria."

"Damn." Maria pouted playfully. She leaned up and kissed Eric softly. "All right, you go ahead, I'll fill him in on the case."

Eric kissed her and patted her stomach gently. "Love you."

"Okay, so what do we know..." Tim's question trailed off when he saw Maria was watching Eric walk away with a dreamy smile on her face and both hands resting where his had been moments before. "Maria? You in there?" He waved one hand un front of her face.

"Yeah, right, sorry." Maria said quickly. "Uh, the dead girl at the school is Cassandra Brody's roommate. Mackenzie Matthews, twenty years old, a sophomore at the center. She's downstairs right now, we got a warrant and had her brought over. Alexx is working on her."

"Any suspects so far?" Tim asked.

"If her latex allergy was what killed her, the two most logical people to look at would be the director of the program and the medical director, since they have access to the supplies. But anyone could have switched those band aids. And, of course, there's still the possibility that it really was just an accident."

"But you don't think so." Tim observed.

Maria smiled a little. "I'm that easy to read, huh? No, I don't...something about this just seems off to me."

"Then something probably is." Tim said.

"What makes you say that?" Maria asked.

Tim shrugged. "I know you. And while you may be one of the most insane people I've ever seen on this side of the law, your instincts tend to be pretty sharp."

"Hey, I am plenty more insane than plenty of people on the other side of the law." Maria said, sticking out her tongue and shoving him playfully.

"Right, of course, my mistake." Tim smirked.

Maria's retort was cut off by her cell phone ringing. "Yeah? Hey, Alexx. Already? Damn, you are something else. We'll be right there." She put her phone away and turned to Tim. "She says there's something we need to see."

* * *

"Thought I'd better alert you as soon as I saw this." Alexx greeted the two CSIs. She motioned them over to the open body on the table. "She's got all the signs of anaphylaxis, but I don't think that's what killed her. Take a look at this."

Tim and Maria peered into the girl's open chest cavity. "Two broken ribs." Maria observed. "One in her heart, one in her liver."

"She bled out internally." Alexx confirmed. "Sternum's cracked, too. Like someone tried to do CPR, but didn't know what they were doing."

"Cassie was the one who found her." Tim recalled. "Maybe she panicked, tried to help."

Maria shook her head. "No, no way. She told us twice, told her parents, she came in, found Mackenzie, called the residential staff. If she'd done anything, even if she thought she ended up hurting Mackenzie trying to help her, she would have mentioned it. Cassandra's had her problems, but she's a good, honest kid."

"We need to talk to the residential staff." Tim said. He noticed that Maria was still staring at Mackenzie's body, pale and wavering. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I just...excuse me." She bolted out of the morgue. Tim followed her and found her doubled over a trash can, vomiting.

"Hey." He pulled her hair back. "It's okay."

"No, it's not." Maria mumbled. She shook his hands off of her and straightened up. "Don't." She turned away from him, covering her mouth. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"You're pregnant." Tim stated the obvious.

"I see dead bodies every day." Maria snapped. "I've seen hundreds of things way more disgusting than an open chest since I got pregnant."

"How many of them were barely twenty years old?" Tim asked. "I've seen the way you've reacted to cases involving kids since you found out. You and Eric, you both try to hide it, but believe me, we've noticed."

Maria leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. "Damn it. I can't let this mess up how I do my job."

"It doesn't have to." Tim said. "It's just going to change it. And you're going to want to have a plastic bag or a bucket handy when you go into the morgue."

"Hey, don't mock my pain." Maria laughed through her tears. "Okay, come on, moment's over. We need to go back to the campus."

* * *

"Okay, we're going to need to take that back to the lab." Maria said, gesturing to Mackenzie's laptop. "The answering machine, too."

"All right." Tim agreed. "You gonna tell me your theory?"

"This was no accident." Maria told him. "But someone put a lot of effort into making it look like one. Whoever it was had to have had some kind of problem with her."

"Better talk to Cassandra and the other roommates, too." Tim said.

"There's twenty-six students at this center, we're going to need to interview all of them." Maria added. "The staff, too."

"You're really going hard at these folks." Tim observed. "How do we know it wasn't an outsider?"

"It could have been." Maria admitted, shrugging. "But we gotta start with what we know."

* * *

"How did Mackenzie get along with your other roommate?" Tim asked.

Cassandra shrugged. "Not bad, I mean we've both always been closer to each other than we were to Emily, and they fought about some shit, Em's kind of a neat freak, and she's super religious, and Mack wasn't either, but most of the time they got along okay."

"Other students here at the center?" Maria asked. "You think any of them might have had a problem with her?"

"Well, there was that Pakistani freak who kept hanging around her. He really creeped all of us out, actually showed up here at seven in the morning on a Saturday, he was pounding on the windows and shouting her name until my boyfriend went out there and told him to beat it." Cassandra said. "But he got expelled and then deported last month."

"So she had a stalker, but he's thousands of miles away." Maria said, sitting down across the table. "Cass, that's really not relevant. But I get the feeling there's someone else you're not telling us about." 

"No." Cassandra insisted, shaking her head rapidly.

"Who is he?" Tim asked. "Cassandra, we will make sure that whoever it is won't find out that you told us about him."

Cassandra looked helplessly at Maria. "His name's Don, he lives in the building across the driveway from us. Mack was really scared of him, he wouldn't leave her alone."

Maria nodded. "And you think he was obsessed with her? Enough to want to hurt her?"

"Yeah." Cassandra said softly, looking down at the table.

* * *

"Maria, what's this?" Eric asked, approaching his girlfriend at the front desk.

"Uh, my pill organizer." Maria said, shrugging.

"Right, what about these?" Eric opened two of the compartments in the plastic case. "You haven't taken your prenatal vitamins all week."

"So I forgot." Maria said. "Big deal."

"It is a big deal." Eric insisted. "Remember what Dr. Raeveska said? You're at risk for a miscarriage, is that really something you want to take chances with?"

"Eric, women have been going through pregnancy without taking those things for centuries." Maria sighed. "I swear to God, if you don't chill out and stop hovering..."

"I wouldn't have to if you would just take care of yourself." Eric shot back. 

"I have been taking excellent care of myself, how can you even say something like that?" Maria snapped. She grabbed the pill case from him. "And why are you so obsessed with me taking these stupid vitamins?"

"Because it's not just affecting your health." Eric reminded her. "That's my baby, too, Maria. You'd better be taking care of it."

"Oh, so it's not about concern for me, but about protecting your precious seed." Maria said. "Don't be such a friggin' Neanderthal."

"Maria, you are acting like a child." Eric crossed his arms and stepped directly in front of her.

"Oh, I'm a child?" Maria hissed. "Guess that would make you a pedophile, and I am not gonna stand here and be lectured by a fucking pervert." With that, she turned on her heel and stormed off.

"Well, that was interesting." Tim said after a moment.

Eric muttered something under his breath as he pushed past his friend.

"I'll take care of her, you go after him." Calleigh said, having observed the entire exchange from across the corridor.

* * *

"Eric?" Tim called out as he entered the locker room. "You in here, man?"

"Right here." Eric replied. He was standing in front of his open locker.

"How bad is it?" Tim asked. "I mean, you just said her doctor told her she's at risk for a miscarriage. Is it really that serious?"

"I don't know." Eric admitted. "She's got a lot of scarring, a lot of internal injuries. The doctor's just being cautious, but it's hard not to get paranoid. That's my family, you know?" He finally found what he was looking for and closed his locker. "Anyway, I'm going for it." He held up a small black box and opened it. 

"Is that real?" Tim asked, staring at the diamond ring. "No way you could afford that on a government paycheck."

"I've been saving for this since she came home." Eric confessed. "Even before she got pregnant, I knew...I guess I've always known. I've just been waiting for the right time."

Tim shook his head. "And you think it's now, after the way you two were just screaming at each other out there?"

"I've asked her three times." Eric said. "And I've always asked her when she's in a good mood. At this point, I'll try anything." He closed the ring box. "Besides, this time I can actually do it right."

"Yeah, when she sees that ring, she'll hesitate for at least a few seconds before she says no." Tim quipped.

* * *

The two men found their girlfriends standing at the front desk, speaking in hushed tones.

"Uh, Calleigh, I need to see you...over here." Tim said, taking Calleigh by the arm and leading her away.

Maria glared at Eric. "You know what else pisses me off? The way that-"

Eric held his hands up to silence her. "Maria, could you just shut up for one second? In fact, everybody just shut up!" The handful of people around them fell silent and stared at the couple. "Thank you."

"What the hell are you doing?" Maria asked. 

"Maria, you drive me completely insane." Eric began, taking a deep breath. "You can argue with anyone about anything, you seem to love challenging people. And I love you for that. Because when you're screaming at me, that's when I realize just how perfect you are for me. Even when you are driving me out of my mind, even when you're being an incredible pain in my ass, there is still nowhere else on earth I would rather be, and no one else I would ever want to spend my life with. The way you challenge me, every day of my life, is one of the things that makes me fall more in love with you every day. And I know that it's still going to be like that when I'm seventy, and you're sixty-eight, and your face is forty, and your breasts are twenty-five..."

A smile crossed Maria's face even as a tear slid down her cheek. "My face will never be forty." She said, touching his cheek gently.

"Right, what was I thinking?" Eric chuckled. He wrapped one arm around her waist, while his other hand slid into his pocket and took out the ring. "Maria, I love you. Will you marry me?"

"Eric..." Maria gasped. For a moment, she just stared at him, and he braced himself for another rejection. Then a radiant smile crossed her face. "Yes." She said, almost too softly for him to hear. "Yes, yes, yes!" She kept saying it as he wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around.

"It's about damn time!" The couple turned to Hagen and gave him a look, causing him to shrink back. "Sorry."

Looking around, they became aware that a small crowd had gathered, and was now watching them intently. But they didn't care. Eric slid the ring onto Maria's finger as he kissed her, then took her hand and pressed his lips against the diamond. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too." Maria whispered, now practically sobbing with joy. She looked at the ring. "It's perfect. You are perfect."

"Only because I've got you." Eric replied, kissing her again, tangling his fingers in her hair and holding her close as she moaned and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Ahem." A cough behind the couple made them break apart. They saw Horatio standing next to Calleigh and Tim. "So, Maria, you're finally making an honest man out of this guy?"

"No, just marrying him." Maria said, giggling as Eric pressed his lips against her throat.

"Congratulations." Horatio said. "Take it outside."

"Sorry." Maria laughed, taking Eric's hand and pulling him over to the elevators.

* * *

"You know, when H told us to 'take it outside,' I think he meant for us to take a walk or get some lunch." Maria said breathlessly, resting her forehead on Eric's shoulder.

Eric chuckled. "You mean you don't think he meant for us to consummate our engagement in the back seat of a Hummer? That's just crazy."

"No, this is crazy." Maria giggled. "We could get in a lot of trouble." She lifted herself off of him and lay panting beside him, with her skirt pushed up and her blouse unbuttoned. "God, if that's engaged sex, I can't wait to find out what married sex feels like." Her entire body was still humming, every nerve ending was on overload.

"What I can't believe is how you feel better every time I'm inside you." Eric said, pulling her back into his lap. "If that keeps up, I'm gonna have a damn heart attack."

"Oh, come on, you can handle it." Maria said, kissing him. In response, Eric turned her onto her back and moved over her. "Uh-uh, not now. We gotta get back to work before someone happens by and sees that the windows are all fogged up."

Groaning, Eric sat up and carefully pulled Maria's skirt back down, smoothing it, then adjusted his own clothing while she buttoned up her blouse. He took her left hand, smiling when he saw the ring catching the light. "I can't believe that you're really, finally going to be my wife."

Maria just smiled, too overcome to speak as they kissed once more, holding onto each other for another moment before Eric opened the door and climbed out of the vehicle, turning around to help Maria out. They both froze when they heard applause behind them. Slowly, they turned around and saw Calleigh and Tim grinning at them.

"Relax, Horatio thinks you two went for a drive, we told him we saw Maria's car leaving." Calleigh laughed. "But you'd better get back, he's gonna start paging you both any minute. Eric, we got a hit on those prints you pulled from that oxygen tank."

"Yeah, and we've got the director of the residential staff at the Dade Center coming in." Tim reminded Maria.

"Okay, just give us a minute." Eric said.

Calleigh and Tim looked at each other and shook their heads as they turned and walked away.

"A moment of silence for our dignity." Maria sighed and wrapped her arms around Eric's neck, burying her face against his chest.

"I love you." Eric chuckled, kissing her lightly.

Maria smiled at him, a pure, radiant smile. "I love you, too."

* * *

TBC... 


	3. Chapter Three

Title: Whoever Fights Monsters (3/?)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (including Maria. She's made it quite clear that she owns her own damn self, thank you very much.) I'm just borrowing them and will return them when I've had my fun, somewhat dazed and disheveled, but otherwise in their original condition. Also, Maria and I have decided to keep Eric for a while, and we're sending Tim to Yana...

Rating: R

Pairings: Eric/Maria, Tim/Calleigh, John/Yelina, Horatio/Adele

Feedback: Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're reading this, right? Well then review it! Come on, pretty pleeeeeease? It only takes a minute or two, and it makes my day. Besides, we both know you've got the time. What else are you going to do, work?

Dedication: Yana, for, as always, putting up with my crazy self. Jackie, Tina, Mel, Annie, Dorothy, Nonnie, and all my other loyal reviewers, what would I do without ya'll? I'll tell ya what; I'd stop writing! And that would suck. So, thanks!

Note: A few people have asked me about the stories that were removed. They're posted at , but if you'd prefer to read an "edited" version, you can email me.

* * *

Tim looked at Maria and shook his head, suppressing a grin. "Cut that out before you hurt yourself."

"What?" Maria asked, staring intently at her left hand as she walked.

Instead of answering, Tim gently put his hands on her shoulders and moved her to one side just in time to stop her from walking right into Valera.

"Oh, sorry, Val!" Maria giggled.

"Whoa, let me see that!" Valera exclaimed, grabbing Maria's hand. "Well...you can't even see where the Titanic hit it. And by the way, finally!"

"Yeah, yeah, like no one else has mentioned that yet." Maria groaned. "Tim, I thought McMannon was coming in."

"He's stonewalling us." Tim explained. "Sent in one of his underlings instead."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Maria said under her breath. Tim gave her a look and she shrugged. "I don't know, something about that guy just bothered me. I got a weird vibe off him."

"That's what Eric was saying, but I think he was just pissed that the guy was checking you out." Tim said. "You'd think he'd be used to that by now."

"Are you used to guys drooling over Calleigh everywhere you two go?" Maria pointed out.

Tim nodded. "Yeah, fair enough." His cell phone rang. "Speed. Yeah, he should be here by now. He what? You have got to be kidding me. All right, we'll meet you there." He closed the phone, a look of annoyance crossing his face. "That was Yelina. This residential staff member, Doug Gould? Says he'll only meet with us at his office."

Maria groaned and rolled her eyes. "What is with these people?"

* * *

"Hey, I just had a thought." Hagen said.

"Uh-oh." Eric and Calleigh both responded at the same time, chuckling.

Hagen rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha. Shut up. Delko, remember a couple years ago, when you had that run-in with radioactive shit, and you were worried it might have messed up your, uh, boys?"

"How the hell do you know about that?" Eric asked.

"Everyone knows about that." Hagen shrugged. "Anyway, maybe that's how Maria ended up pregnant."

"Super sperm." Calleigh laughed. "I just figured that since he's a strong swimmer, it would make sense that he'd have strong swimmers."

"I'd be really pissed at both of you if I hadn't already heard both of those jokes, I don't know, a hundred times in the past three months." Eric groaned.

"Hey guys." Maria said tiredly as she and Tim entered the room.

"Hey." Eric replied. "Kill me now."

"Screw you, man." Tim said. "Why do you get to die first?"

"Sperm jokes."

Tim shrugged. "Okay, fair enough."

"Hey, you guys leave him alone." Maria chided as Eric wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned in to kiss her. "Miss me?" She laughed and blushed as he leaned down and kissed her stomach.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Fine. Tired." Maria admitted. "That asshole at the Dade Center was really obnoxious, totally evasive. He did give us the residential staff log, though. Every time a staff member gets called to..." She stopped abruptly. "I'll be right back."

Eric groaned softly as Maria bolted out of the room.

"You are so cute, feeling guilty like that." Calleigh told him, as if she could read his mind.

"Can't help it." Eric admitted.

"It's completely natural." Calleigh said patiently. "And remember, it's just as much her fault as it is yours."

"Yeah, I know." Eric said. Not that it mattered. Seeing Maria suffer through any kind of discomfort was upsetting to him.

"Man, when she's in labor, I think you're going to need the drugs more than her." Calleigh joked.

Eric blushed, once again feeling like she could hear his thoughts. "Speed, what was Maria saying about the case?"

"Just that every time a staff member is called to one of the student's apartments, it's noted in this log that they have. According to the director of the residential staff, Gould, the girls were 'histrionic drama queens,' they had some problem or another almost every night. Looking over that apartment, though, we weren't too surprised. The toilet was broken, the thermostat was stuck and the whole place was freezing, and Mackenzie's room has water damage from a leak under the floor. These girls were living in pretty substandard conditions, even for a dorm."

"And Gould didn't have anything to say about that?" Calleigh asked.

"According to him, everything that's wrong with the place is the fault of the 'retarded' students living there, not the school." Tim replied, sounding more than a little disgusted.

"I can only imagine what Maria had to say to that." Eric said.

"She was pretty restrained, actually. The only time she actually mouthed off was when we were leaving and the guy made a pass at her." Tim shrugged. He cleared his throat and did his best impression of Maria. "'Sorry, Mr. Gould, maybe if your dick was half as big as your mouth, I might be interested.'"

Calleigh and Hagen cracked up at that, but Eric just shook his head. "Sick bastard. She's visibly pregnant and she's got a ring on her left hand."

"Well, I highly doubt that he noticed either of those things, seeing as he never looked anywhere below my chest." Maria responded, having entered the room just in time to hear what Eric said. "Anyway, relax, I took care of it." She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "What's going on with your case?"

"Done." Eric said, not minding the change of subject, at least at that moment.

"Damn, you are good." Maria purred. "So, you're ready to head home?"

"Actually, the guys and I were going to watch the game at that new sports bar down the street." Eric replied.

Maria blinked and shrugged. "Oh, okay. That's fine. I was just thinking that if we both went home now, we could get naked, get in bed, and not get out until there's peace in the Middle East, but whatever."

Eric clenched his jaw and tightened his grip on her waist. "Uh, I'll see you guys tomorrow." He said to Hagen and Tim, already pulling Maria toward the door.

"A salute to our fallen comrade." Hagen chuckled, snapping his wrist and imitating a cracking whip.

Calleigh rolled her eyes as she reached over and grabbed his left hand, so the light caught on his wedding band. "Shut up."

* * *

"Wow." Maria managed to gasp as Eric moved off of her, sliding his arm around her and pulling her close. They hadn't made it to the bed, hell, they'd barely made it into the bedroom. Driving home, she'd had trouble keeping her eyes on the road, and more than once, the temptation to pull into an empty parking lot and demand that he take her then and there had been almost impossible to resist.

Once inside the apartment, they'd managed to undress each other in what had to be record time, even as they made their way to the bedroom. They'd taken two steps when she sank down onto the floor, pulling him on top of her. He'd laughed at her urgency at first, until she'd grasped him and guided him into her.

"Have I mentioned how glad I am that I knocked you up?" Eric mumbled against her skin, kissing her neck and collarbone.

Maria laughed. "Glad you're enjoying it."

"I didn't hear you complaining." Eric pointed out. Shifting a little, he realized that he'd been pressing Maria's naked body onto the bare hardwood floor. "You okay?"

"Okay doesn't even begin to describe how I am right now." Maria sighed happily. She noticed the look on his face. "Really, I'm not gonna break if you fuck me a little harder than usual."

"Will you just let me be a little paranoid?" Eric chuckled, sitting up and sliding his arms under her body. He lifted her up and carried her over to the bed. "Besides, you gotta enjoy this while you still can, because pretty soon, I'm not going to be able to pick you up."

Maria swiped playfully at him as he lay her down. "You're lucky I'm still in a post-coital haze, or you'd be a dead man."

"Yeah, I'm not worried." Eric said, lying down beside her and pulling her on top of him. "Face it, you can't do without this." He slipped one hand between her thighs, covering her moan with a soft, passionate kiss.

"You got me." Maria said softly, closing her eyes and sucking in a deep, shuddering breath as she felt his fingers inside her, pressing on her spot just as his thumb moved to circle her clit. "Jesus fucking Christ, you so got me."

Two hours later, she was rudely awakened by an aspect of her pregnancy that was much less enjoyable than the raging hormones. Grumbling under her breath about the discomfort caused by having someone sitting on her bladder, she got out of the bed quietly to avoid disturbing Eric, and made her way into the bathroom. When she returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, she picked up Eric's discarded t-shirt, pulled it over her head, and sat down in front of the computer.

As the machine booted up and connected to the internet, she absently rubbed her hands over her slightly expanded stomach, feeling a sense of peace come over her as the ring on her left hand sparkled in the dim light. Five months earlier, if anyone had told her that she would soon find herself engaged, pregnant, and overwhelmingly happy about both, she would have laughed. But now, if she closed her eyes, she could easily picture Eric, with a ring on his left hand and their baby in his arms. She loved imagining what their child might look like. Five more months seemed like such a long time to wait.

"Come back to bed." Eric's sleepy voice brought her back to reality.

"Just a minute." She sighed, smirking at him. "I'm sending an e-mail to Dad and Yolanda."

"You can call them in the morning." Eric pointed out.

"Yeah, but then I'd actually have to talk to them, and you know how annoying that can be." Maria laughed. After shutting down the computer, she returned to the bed, stretching out next to him.

"So, you're gonna stick with the Matthews case?" Eric asked.

"Why wouldn't I? Taylor and Jake asked for me personally, they trust me." Maria said, lazily tracing circles on his chest with one finger. Besides, if there's anything I can do to help those kids, I want to do it. Eric, the place is appalling. The apartments are crap, the staff are a bunch of incompetent fucktards, and that director, McMannon..." She shuddered. "There's just something about him that I don't like. I mean, it's obvious that he looks at vulnerable, troubled teenagers who really need help and support as dollar signs. But there's something else about him that just bugs...can't put my finger on it..."

"How about the fact that he practically leaves a slime trail behind him?" Eric said. "I didn't like the way he was looking at you, I didn't like his attitude towards us. And now I hear about this other guy hitting on you-"

"That's what this is all about." Maria said, a sudden edge to her voice. "You just can't stand it when other men notice me, is that it?"

"That is not it." Eric insisted. "But no, I don't like seeing guys leering at you, and I don't like hearing about perverts making passes at you."

"Like I never have to watch other girls eying you." Maria sighed, pulling away from him. "God, do you really think I would ever...Eric, I am going to marry you. I'm going to give birth to your child. If that's not enough for you to trust me-"

"Hey." Eric interrupted, his face and tone of voice softening. "I do trust you. It's the other men that I don't trust." He reached out and wrapped his arms around her. "Maria, baby, you have been through so much hell, and the thought of anyone ever hurting you like that again damn near kills me."

Maria turned her face toward him, but didn't say anything.

"And now..." Eric continued, laying his hand across her stomach. "Now that you're going to have my baby, it hurts me even more to think about something happening to you. I don't want to act like a possessive, jealous freak, I swear. I just want to keep both of you safe."

"Eric..." Maria sighed. "I always feel safe with you."

"And I will make sure that you always will." Eric vowed, kissing her softly. "I promise, I will protect you and our baby. No one is ever going to hurt you again." He brushed his lips across hers, then started placing feather-light kisses along her jaw.

"How can I stay mad at you?" Maria whispered, lying back and pulling him onto her, squirming when she felt him harden against her thigh.

"You can't." Eric said cockily, sliding his hands under the t-shirt she had put on. "This shirt never looked so good on me. But right now, it's gotta go."

Maria grinned and quickly pulled the shirt over her head, discarding it and reaching up to wrap her arms around him. "I love the way you think."

* * *

Even when she was sound asleep, and he was barely awake himself, Maria had an amazing effect on Eric. He smirked as he leaned over her, watching her peaceful, lovely features in the dim early morning light, wondering if she would ever have any idea just how crazy she made him. He couldn't hold back a groan as she shifted a little in her sleep, the same way she did when she moved under him as they made love.

As he watched, her lips parted and she began panting softly. Hearing her whisper his name in her sleep, Eric realized she was dreaming about him, and his smile grew as an idea formed in his head. Pulling the sheet back to reveal her naked body, he moved down, resisting the urge to run his hands over her warm skin. He placed his hands on the insides of her thighs and pushed them apart, then waited for a moment to be sure she was still asleep before he leaned in.

Maria gasped as she woke up with a start. Looking down, she saw Eric's head moving between her thighs. She murmured his name and reached down to run her fingers through his hair. He looked up and smiled devilishly at her, then lowered his head again.

Some time later, they were tangled up in each other and the sheets. They stayed like that until the alarm clock went off. Eric reached over to turn it off, then lay back down and pulled Maria back into his arms.

"Yeah, I think I prefer your method of waking me up." Maria chuckled softly. "Keep it up, and I just might become a morning person."

"I doubt even I'm capable of performing that much of a miracle." Eric teased.

Maria responded by sticking out her tongue and playfully hitting him with her pillow as she sat up and got out of the bed.

"Hey, come back here." Eric said, reaching for her but only succeeding in grabbing a handful of her dark red silk robe as she wrapped it around her naked body.

"Uh-uh, we've got to get ready for work." Maria replied. She looked back at him and caught the disappointed look on his face. "Go get in the shower. Maybe I'll join you in a few minutes."

Eric grinned. "Better hurry, I might use up all the hot water." When he left the bedroom, she was just sitting down at the desk and turning on the computer. He had just stepped into the shower when he heard her shout.

"Holy shit! Eric!"

There was an urgency in her voice that scared the living hell out of him, and he didn't bother turning off the water before he raced back into the bedroom.

* * *

"Your dad and stepmom bought a house for you guys?" Calleigh gasped.

"They're calling it an engagement present." Maria replied.

Eric shrugged. "I think it's more of a 'please stop hating us just because you're a bastard' present." Maria smacked him on the shoulder. "What, you can say it but I can't?"

"Uh, yeah." Maria said.

"You guys just got engaged yesterday, how did they already manage to buy a house?" Calleigh asked.

"Yolanda's e-mail said that they put a deposit on it a few weeks ago, and they were 'saving it' for when we got engaged." Maria said with a shrug. She took a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Calleigh. "There's the picture she sent us."

"Oh my God." Calleigh gasped. "That's not a house. That's a small European country. What the hell are you guys supposed to do with a place like that?"

"Live in it, apparently." Eric said.

"Okay, but I think you're gonna need a sherpa and a pack mule to get from the bathroom to your bedroom." Calleigh joked. "So, are you going to take it?"

"We don't know yet." Maria admitted. Her cell phone rang at that moment, and she stepped aside to answer it. "Hello?"

"Maria?"

"Taylor?" Maria was instantly concerned, the older woman sounded like she was crying. "What's wrong?"

"It's..." Taylor had to pause for a moment as she sobbed. "It's Cassie."

* * *

TBC... 


End file.
